New trash plan wins Bloomington City Council's approval

“There is no ‘no way,’” Walker said. 

City officials announced their intent to make Bloomington’s trash and recycling collection more efficient through automation in a February 2016 report. What came before the city council Wednesday was a proposal meant to improve employee safety and wellness, replace aging vehicles and improve the system’s overall efficiency. While the program has yet to reach a “pay-as-you-throw” system for low-volume users, the switch-over can begin.

“It’s very much our intention to promote and move forward to a more modernized version of sanitation and collection,” Department of Public Works Director Adam Wason said. “We want to continue a sustainable approach, so we’re encouraging recycling as much as we can.”

The anticipated timeline for the 35-, 64- and 95-gallon carts to start rolling out starts in September. Wason said that’s about the time residents will be alerted of the impending change. Wason expects the first automated services to begin at the start of October. 

The purchase and implementation of the automated trucks will be staggered over 12-18 months, with a six-month wait between the order and the delivery of a truck. Once the trucks are on the road and the carts distributed, users will have two months to exchange their carts for a more appropriate size before a $50 replacement fee is incurred.